If you drive, chances are, you’ve backed yourself into the occasional scratch, ding or dent. I know I have, but no one holds a candle to my wife: the “Queen of Ding.” I love her dearly, but even she would admit to being somewhat “challenged” by the concept of maneuvering a car in reverse.

You want proof? How about the time she T-boned a service van while backing out of our driveway? Or when she made a “lasting impression” on our bumper by backing into a steel post? My wife even gave our car “orthopedic injuries” by backing out of the garage with the rear passenger door standing wide open!

Why is it so difficult for us to function when we’re in reverse? I think it’s because God has so deeply programmed us to move forward, that moving backward feels foreign. When we lose our forward momentum and begin going in the direction opposite to God’s plan for us, we may be
headed for a wreck — just like my wife driving in reverse.

Fortunately, we can repair dents in our bumpers, and we can learn from our mistakes.

Oftentimes, it is our failings that help us realize our weaknesses and our need to change. Our times of frustration, confusion, error, and even downright sin, can help us draw closer to God’s presence and his unconditional love if we turn to him and are willing to change. When we come back to God and ask for his mercy and forgiveness, he is quick to provide them. In fact, that’s the reason Jesus gave his life — the only sacrifice sufficient enough to pay the price for our sins for all time. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can receive pardon and peace and start afresh.

Viewing life through the lens of faith, we encounter numerous “teaching moments” each day in which we can see the error of our ways and pray for God to forgive us and to help us get moving in the right direction — with forward momentum to keep us on track with his plan.

The problem is, many of us have grown comfortable living without momentum. Some people weave haphazardly through life in reverse, in total opposition to God’s control. Others are stuck in “park,” paying lip service to God while stubbornly refusing to budge from their comfortable, familiar parking space. Still others are content to drive forward, but with their foot always on the brake — fearful of surrendering wholly to the momentum of a faith-filled life.

We need to learn how to escape our comfort zone and become the people God intends for us to be.

Rick Sarkisian, Ph.D., is a nationally-known life purpose author, conference speaker, and video producer who has helped thousands of people seek and understand their purpose in life. He writes for a variety of Christian publications and is a frequent guest on national radio and television shows.